Separation by liquefaction of complex gaseous mixtures



Aug. 13, 1929. CLAUDE v 1,724,004

SEPARATION BY LIQUEFACTION OF COMPLEX GASEOUS MIXTURES Filed July 16, 1925 Patented l3,

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This invention relates statements;

the separation,- fbyithej liquefaction method, of the constituents of certain complexgaseous mixtures, such for exam le as water 5 gas, ordinary lighting gas, coeoven and analogous uses; Y

One of t e usualinethodsogt treatin these ases consists in condensing; certain 0 their" quefiable constituents by passing them n into a single bath of these same constituents, which have been previously condensed, such hath boiling under a lower ressure than the gaseous mixture treated. 1 however this mixture has. not previously been suitably in freed from its more condensable constituents, or it this elimination has not been complete, these more liquefiable constituents are condensed at the same time as those which liquety alterwards, and if their vapor tenan sion is not eullicient they will accumulate in the hath previously referred to, and will thus progrcssirely raise its boiling temperature to an entent which may he detrimental to the elficiency oil the condensation.

Furthermore the use oi such a large bath at considerable height presents with certain liquids, and in particular with methane which truths ahundantly when hoiling, the dieadrantage o'l trequently leading to over an tlowing which is preyudicial to the working, The present invention has tor its object to orercoiue these two disadvantages at one and the sauce time, l or this purpose, ac cording to the present invention, a method ht .lor the separation ot the constituents ot gaseous niirtures hy liquefaction in which the liquid which has heen condensed in the tuhes ol the tube system of the vaporizer of the liquelaction apparatus is dischargedoutat side the said tube system, consists in circulating the said liquid, together with the gases resulting from its vaporization, in com tact with te tube system and down to the end of the said system opposite to that at which the liquid is delivered thereinto by cans of a series of suitable haffles, and then withdrawing from the vaporizer at the end at the tube system the whole of the aforesaid gases together with any residual liquid. lit The said ases and. residual liquid, if any,

may be de ivered either to another compartthus eventually vcordanc'e with t "meat where the same operation recommences withothcr and more liquefiable constituents,

or to the temperature exchangers where the more; condensable constituents (which are eliminated without having to the means adopted in acv e invention, to accumulate) are; again vaporized without having impalre the working of the process. The elinnnation of these products is furthermore facilitated if the exchanger to which they are delivered is such that their circulation :herein takes place from the top to the bot- The present process moreover renders unnecessary the use of a bath containing a con siderahle quantity of liquid which is subject to the disadvanta e of overflowing, as previously mentionecfi The process is independent of the direction' of the circulation of the gases treated in the tube system,

Further if desired the present rocess can lac-modified by circulating if ne be only a part of the ases resulting from the vaporization toget er with the liquid, the more rolatile gases remaining being collected separately.

In order that the said invention may he beenable, owi

clearly understoodand readily carriedinto effect, the mine will now be described more tally with reference to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates diagrammatically and by we of example, in Figure l, an apparatus "or carrying out the process for the treatment of ordinary lighting or coke oven gas for the pur ose of extracting the hydrogen contained t erein. Pie 2 is a tragmental view of an apparatus tor carrying out the modified process just described,

he compressed gas to be treated, previous 1 cooled, is admitted through the inlet 0 to the lower part of the tube system F which constitutes, for example, the lower part of the apparatus proper for the liquefaction and extraction of the hydrogen, A large part of the methane of the is condensed in the interior of the nest of tubes F, and the liquid methane collected in the reservoir A, whence it is delivered through the tube T outside the nest of tubes 1} into the com- Hit partment B. The li uid which ascends through'the tube T is rst of all discharged into a collector C, thereby forming a reserve of liquid, which by overflowing falls from the collector C u on the successive lates P. The gases forme by the boiling o the methane cannot escape at the upper part of the com 'artment B and are forced to escape who with maybe a certain quantity of liquid: through the outlet D at the lower part of the compartment B.

These gases, which may be mixed with liquids, are sent to the temperature exchangers; if these latter are such that the circulation of the mixture takes place from the top to the bottom, the elimination of the impurlties contained therein is facilitated.

The form of apparatus shown in Fi 2 is exactl the same as that illustra in Fig. 1," with the exception that it is provided with an outlet X for the more volatile gases to rmit their separate collection.

claim as my invention:

15A method of va orizin a liquid containing easier lique able e ements in the liquefaction of gaseous mixtures, such as the liquids rich in methane containing ethylene and similar impurities in the liquefaction of gaseous mixtures containing hydrogen, which comprises discharging such 1i uid toward the upper part of a. chamber; circulating it in said chamber in contact with surfaces at a higher temperature, together with the gases resulting from its vaporization; and withdrawing the aforesaid gases, together with an residual liquid, from the chamber, at su stantiall the lowest part thereof.

. 2. A met 10d of va orizin a liquid containing easier liqu able eFements in the liquefaction of gaseous mixtures, such as the liquids rich in methane containing ethylene I and similar impurities in the liquefaction of gaseous mixtures containing hydrogen, which comprises discharging such liquid into an open receptacle situated toward the upper part of a chamber; circulatin it from said receptacle through the cham r in contact with surfaces at a higher temperature, together with the gases resulting from its vaporization; and withdrawing the aforesaid ases, together with any residual liquid, rom the chamber, at substantially the lowest part thereof. I

3. A method of vqporizing a liquid containing easier lique able elements in the liquefaction of gaseous mixtures, such as the liquids rich in methane contaimng ethylene and similar impurities in the li uefaction of gaseous mixtures containing hy rogen, which comprises discharging such liquid toward the upper part of a chamber; circulating it' in said chamber in contact with surfaces at a higher temperature, together with part of the gases resulting from its vaporization; separately collecting the more volatile part of said uses; and withdrawing the other part oft e gases resulting from the vaporization, to ther with any residual liquid, from the c amber, at substantially the owest part thereof.

4. A method of vaporizing the. li uid which has been condensed and collecte in the liquefaction of complex gaseous mixtures such as those containm hydrogen, which comprises discharging suc liquid toward the upper part of a chamber; circulating it in successive layers in said chamber in contact with surfaces at a higher temperature, together with the gases resulting from its vaporization; and withdrawing the aforesaid ases, together with any residual li uid,

rom the chamber, at substantially the owest part thereof.

5. A method of separating gaseous mixtures containing methane and ethylene and similar impurities, which comprises liquefying said gases by bringing the aseous mixture under pressure in heat-exc anging contact with one surface of a substantially vertically extending heat exchanger, collecting the liquefied gases and causes them to flow downwardly and under a lower pressure in heat-exchanging relation with the other surface of said exchanger, and removing the thus-formed vapors together with any unevaporated liquid at the end of said 6. A method of separating gaseous mixtures containin methane and ethylene and similar impurities, which comprises liquefying said gases by bringing the gaseous mixture under pressure in heat-exchanging contact with one surface of a substantially vertical] extending heat exchanger, collecting the iquefied gases and causing them to flow downwardly and under a lower pressure in heat-exchanging relation with the other surface of said exchanger, and removing the thus-formed va rs partly toward the beginning of said ow and partly together with any unevaporated liquid at the end of said flow.

7. A method of separating gaseous mixtures containing methane and ethylene and similar impurities, which comprises liquefying said gases by bringing the gaseous mixture under pressure in heat-exchan 'ng contact with one surface of a substantially vertically extendin heat exchanger, collecting the liquefied gases, discharging them under a lower pressure in a receptacle and in heat-exchan 'ng relation with a part of the other sur ace of said exchan r and causing them to flow downwardly in heatexchanfing relation with the remaining art of sai surface, and removing the t usformed va rs together with any unevaporated liqui at the end of said flow.

8. A method of separating gaseous mixtures containing methane and ethylene and vertically extending heat exchanger, collecting the liquefied gases, discharging them under a lower firessure in a receptacle and in heat-exchanging relation with a part of the other surface of said exchanger and causing them to flow downwardly in heat- 10 exchanging relation with the remaining part of said surface, and removing the thusformed vapors partly towards the beginning of said flow and partly together with any unevaporated liquid at the end of said flow. 15

In testimonywhereof I aflix my signature.

GEORGES CLAUDE. 

